Electrocuting insect-trap.



H. B. CLARKE. ELEGTROOUTING INSECT TRAP. APPLICATION IILED JULY 17, 1911.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

UNITED srrarns PATENT oration.

army 13-. CLARKE, or HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

arncraocm'me INSECT-TRAP.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

4 assistants filed 3111? 17, 1911. serial 18' 0. 638,827.

citizen or the United States, residing at from the following description in conjunc- Highland ark, in the county of Lake and 3 State of 11 inois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrocuting Insece'rraps', of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electrocuting insect tra s, and it has for its salient objects; to provi comparatively inexpensive construction which may be used to serve the double purpose of excluding flies and other insects from any receptacle or closure to which it is applied and at the same timeelectrocuting those insects which attem to pass; to provide a construction wh-ic may be readily applied to antry shelves, window openings, provision oxes, etc; to provide a device which is well safeguarded a ainst accidental injury to'persons andling't e same; to rovide a. device5which'collects the flies an in-.

sects electrocute'd and which may be readily cleaned without disturbing the trap proper; and in general, to provide an improved device of the character referred to. I

The invention will be readily understood tion with reference to the drawing, in -which I Fig-um 1 is a front elevation of a'pai-r of shelves equipped with a preferredembodinrent of the invention, certain parts being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional- VI-6W taken approximately on line 22 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows. a

The principle of operation utilized in securing the electrocutionof the insects is in' providing a grid or grating of conducting members, alternate ones of which are con-.

nected with opposite poles of a source of electric current and so arrangin this grid or gratingthat insects in attempt-mg to pass through or over the same will close the circuit through their bodies and be thereby electrocuted.

Referring "to the drawing, 1 and 2 represent compartmentsopen at one side only, as for example a set of pantry shelves, 3, i and 5, open as usual at the front. At the front,

at each side of the set of shelves, are provided undercut'vertical ways 6, 6, and within these ways is arranged to fit, and slide a grid-frame, designated as a whole 7; The

e a very simple and.

' right ang grid fratne is preferably, and as shown, of such width as to just close the front side of one of the spaces between the shelves, so that it may be shifted up or down opposite either space for the purpose of obtaining ready access to either shelf, and preferably for the purpose of utilizing the grid as a closure for either shelfs space desired.

The; frame 7 comprises a completely surrounding frame of insulating material, as hard rubber or red fiber, comprising the end frame members 8, 8, the top frame member 9 and the two bottom frame members 10 and 11 (see F ig'. 2'), the latter 'being'arranged at es to each other for a purpose Patented (Oct. 21, 1213.

hereinafter described. On the outside of each of the end'frame members 8, 8, is applied a metal conducting strip, as 12, 13. Preferably also one or more intermediate cross connecting frame members 14: of insulating material are provided. In the marginal frame thus provided are mounted two sets of conducting rods or wires, as 15 and 16. The members of these two sets of wires are alternated, one set being connected to one pole of the circuit and the other to the opposite pole. The rods are arranged parallel with each other and slightly spaced apart, the spaces between them being so small as to prevent insects, even insects so small as a lsmall ant,from passing between them without coming into contact with the two rods. 1 In practice 1 have-found about one-sixteenth of an inch a suitable spacing apart, and I prefer to make the rods comparatively heavy and of rather hard metal, so that the cannot be readil bent into contact with eac other. The ro s ofone set, as 15, extend through the insulating end frame member 8 and are fastened into the corresponding metal contact strip, as 12, while the rods of the other set extend only part way through strip 12, while attheir oppositeends they extend entirely through the insulating strip 8 and into the corresponding strip 13. By this arrangement each alternate rod is conthe insulating strip 8 next to the contactnected with a contact strip of opposite polarity yet normally there is no circuit connection between the two.

clearly in Fig. 2, and both sets extend through the cross frame member or. members 14;.the latter being'simply spacing supports;

Both sets of rods "are arranged in the same plane, as shown To conduct current through, the grid j frame, a pair of contact lugs, as 17 and 18, are arranged to extend t rough the outside Way strips 6, 6, and into suitable socket openings in the respective conducting strips 12 and 13. These contact plugs have insulating handles 17 and 18', respectively, flexible covered conductors 19 and 20 connected with the plugs lead to any suitable source of electrical current supply, as for example an ordinary A C lighting circuit. The two lower frame strips 10 and 11 form a convenient seat, upon which is mounted .a drawer 21 to receive the electrocuted insects, which upon being shocked fall down the face of-the grid into the drawer. The drawer may be drawn out and emptied in an obvious manner.

In order to protect against accidental contact with the grid by persons or animals, a relatively open mesh screen 22 is provided; this desirably taking the form of a shallow box composed of the end frame members 23 and the Wires 24: and 25. The upper and side edges of the grid frame are secured to the main grid-frame in any suitable manner; the lower part of the screening terminating just above the upper edge of the drawer 21. When access to the top space 1 above the shelf a is desired, the plugs 17 and 18 are withdrawn, whereupon the frame is lowered into position opposite the lower space. The withdrawal of the contact block serves both to interrupt the circuit connections and to mechanically re lease the frame. If desired, the frame can be connected in circuit in its lower position, plug apertures 26 and 27 being provided for this purpose.

Ordinarily when the device is used to pro tect pantry shelves, the food materials will be a suficient attractionto cause the insects to try to cree through the grid, and thus be electrocute If it is desired to attract moths, flies and other insects, a light may v be placed back of the grid, as, indicated at 28, or a dish of some aromatic or odorous food, as indicated at 29. It is, of course obvious that such a grid-frame may be use to cover-one side, or an opening of one side,

of any desired closure, as for example, a

window opening in a room, or an opening in a breadbox or provislon box. I do not therefore wish to be understood as limiting myself to the specific details of construc-' tion shown, but on the contrary wish the appended claim interpreted broadly, except in so far as it is made specific to details.

. I claim as my invention: r

In combination, a box-like inclosure open at one side only and an electrocuting grid or screen covering said open side, said electrocuting device comprising a marginal frame mounted in ways to slide across into and out of register with the opening of said box-like inclosure, a series of electrocuting conductors forming a screen extending across said frame, suitable electrical connections for connecting every alternate conducting rod with the opposite pole of a source of electric current of largeamplitude, a source of such current, means for detachably securing said electrocuting screen in position, and an openwork guard covering the exterior of said electrocuting screen.

HENRY B. CLARKE. Witnesses:

L. B. CLARKE, JOHN R. MURPHY. 

